Three hours later - The Black Dragon Sect Entry Area (flying beast care area):

Inner Sect Disciple Chung Jin was giving a tour to those that passed in her group and an unknown number of others. “Where we are right now is one of three beast housing and care zones the sect has. This is our largest open area and is excellent for dropping off applicants, which is why we use it as an entry field for applicants every six-month cycle. This particular one is primarily for large flying beasts. Once you can afford to do so and have one, you can have your flying beast stored here. Silver coins have little meaning here. Everything in the sect costs Black Dragon Contribution Points. Most people say ‘dragon points’ or just ‘points’ for short by the way. This facility costs many dragon points and often is unreachable until you enter the inner sect where it is easier to earn points in large batches. The next is for smaller beasts and costs less but is still too expensive for you. The third is a training pen which costs nothing, but you have to put in a good amount of work to maintain it. For those wishing to work with beasts extensively, that is often a good choice to start with.” Then he walked away and the group followed without being told to.

When Yu appeared back on the platform sweaty and disheveled in front of groups who passed earlier than her and those in her group, many of whom had been waiting for a while, most ignored her, thankfully. Many also looked curiously at her condition and a number sneered and shook their heads. She didn’t care. The most important thing to her was that Bai and his basket were next to her. She immediately grabbed him and put the basket in her ring. When Gui Ai appeared exactly as she had before, she nearly lept at Yu and hid behind her. Yu patted her shoulder and let her pet and scratch Bai for comfort. Did this shy girl actually fight on the top floor?

The inner sect disciple who brusquely introduced himself earlier and guided them to the testing was leading them deeper into the sect while no longer seeming to find them utterly and totally worthless. Not that he was exactly kind or welcoming either at that point. Yu still remembered his genuine if brief smile as he called, “Welcome to the Black Dragon Sect, disciples,” causing her to feel flushed with excitement, nervousness, and yes, a little pride at having made it. Of course, her anticipation vanished along with his welcoming attitude a moment later when he stated bluntly, “Now you just have to stay. Let’s start the tour.”

That same inner sect disciple was leading them out of the bonded beast area and told them about their accommodations. “Next we are going to head through part of the city into the living quarters. In this sect, everyone is assigned quarters based on their rank no matter their sect level; the starting point is simply different. For you it’s shared space, cramped quarters, and little privacy. If you rise, you can get private rooms. In the inner sect, you start with single rooms and can work up to private homes. I won’t bring up core because the chance of even one of you getting there is slim to none.” There was a snort or two at that but Yu couldn’t tell from where. “Now, since you are all new, you have no rank; or more precisely you are all last. Thus, you get the least comfortable housing. If you want to move up, grow stronger and rise in rank. There are somewhere in the range of 25,000 outer sect disciples at any one time. Not that it matters to you, but there are also 2,500 inner sect disciples, and 500 core disciples. Assuming you can avoid being expelled long enough, you can rise in rank in a few ways.” There was some muttering at that. What did he mean assuming we didn’t get expelled? “The easiest way is to defeat someone in a higher rank in the fighting arena. For those of you who are not fighters, if you are healers for example, you have other ways to earn your stay as well as advanced privileges like better quarters. The same is true for Spiritualists who focus on professions, which of course most do. Let’s head to your living quarters and get you situated.”

***

On the way to their housing, the tour walked the group of new disciples through parts of the city in the center of the sect. Inner Sect Disciple Chung Jin pointed out important or popular places for food, shopping, socializing, sparring, and the like. One could spend either silver or points in these places. On the other hand, they learned nothing about classes, cultivating or growing. The sky was darkening by the time they reached what appeared to be the tall bland gray stone building where they would be living. Is this where her brother lived too? Maybe she could find him after she got settled.

“This is your home until you get kicked out or are able to rise in rank. I have a list of your names here, I will call out your name and you will head up to your quarters to settle in. The bottom two floors are the baths divided by sex.” He glared at them all but mostly the boys. “Do not attempt to breach that.” Yu shook her head and thought of her uncle, Zhao. He would totally try it.

Clearing his throat, the inner sect disciple continued, “Get to know who you will be spending time with. In a short while you will be called for your Welcoming dinner. Before you ask, if there are people you don’t get along with, tough. We are not here to baby you. If you have a dispute, work it out. On your beds is the rule book. I recommend you read it thoroughly before taking any action against a fellow disciple. There are rules and if you break them your sect level’s law enforcement group will be displeased. More than anything else, the reason most disciples get expelled during their first few weeks is for fighting in unsanctioned battles. And no, we don’t care who you are, your father is, or what your family has done. In the outer sect, you are all nobodies. You are a single grain of sand on a beach of identical grains; nobody cares how tall the wave was that washed you ashore. Get this through your thick skulls. You. Are. Nobody. At least until you prove otherwise.” That realization caused some consternation in the group but he moved on without taking note of it.

Taking a jade tablet out of his ring, he said, “I am about to call your names and tell you your suite and room number. You can all feel free to swap but you may only do so after the Welcoming is complete in three days’ time. To do so you both agree to it and tap your badges together. The sect’s records will be updated and everyone is happy. Now, here we go. First is. . .”

***

After comforting Gui Ai, who was upset when she found out she would be rooming with strangers, Yu arrived in her suite on the forty-third floor, number 4318, to find two of the three other people already there. She entered and blushed to see it was two boys. They were sitting in the small central area and talking about their plans. Both stopped and looked at Yu when she entered.

She said nervously, “Umm. Hi.”

One was shorter tanned and had a thin beard that matched his black hair which was also cut short. The other was average in just about every way visually. They both looked to be on the older side, maybe 15 or 16.

The short one said, “We have to share with a girl?”

“Umm, I’m Fenghuang Yu. It is nice to meet you.”

The average one said, “Hello, I’m Mang Shun.” He pointed at the other one and said, “He’s Hung Yim. The third of our number already came and left. His name is Lung Lai.”

Yu blushed brighter. “So I’m the only girl?”

Hung Yim, the short one, said, “Yes, which is ridiculous. We are not children. That I have to share a room at all is absurd, but sharing it with a girl. . .” He shook his head, stood up, and stalked into his room. The other one, Mang Shun, shrugged and headed into his room too.

Yu went into her room, the only one with the door open, room 4, and saw very small quarters with only enough room for a desk, a bed, a dresser, and a path to and from the door. It was good enough since she wouldn’t be spending much time there - especially with her suitemates.

Putting Bai’s basket down, Yu picked up the tiger cub and put him on the rough wool blanket on her bed. He was sharing the bed with a bound book, the words, “Sect Laws” on the front. Figuring she’d check out what they offered her for basic living needs, Yu looked in the dresser. It was filled with numerous versions of her sect clothes, underclothes, and some basics. Next was her desk, which was made of simple thin wood, had writing implements and a single lamp. Not an Ether lamp, an oil lamp. At least it was full.

Yu laid down on the hard bed, put Bai on her chest, and began reading the rulebook. Too bad she couldn’t wash up; the smell wasn’t great from her fights. But there was no way Yu would use the shared washroom with unknown boys present. Later she’d go down the bathing area. For her room, she’d need to at least buy a basin of some sort.

Less than an hour later, she was disturbed by a ringing bell sound. She put Bai in his basket, blew out the lamp to save oil, and headed out to the suite area, seeing all three of her suitemates. The new one, Lung Lai, was the tallest of the group, but skinny and quite pale.

Yu looked around and said, “Do we head down for dinner?”

Mang Shun nodded, but the others just left. Yu carried Bai in his basket and headed downstairs.

They exited the suite and joined the flood of people attempting to reach the open area outside the housing building. Having successfully survived the mass exodus, Yu found a new inner sect disciple standing a few paces in front of everyone. “Good evening, new people. I don’t know your names nor am I interested in learning. Chances are none of you will amount to shit. Now shut up and follow me to your dinner.” What a pleasant fellow.

Yu looked around and spotted Gui Ai trying to hide in the crowd and walked up to her. The poor girl’s face showed so much relief that Yu almost laughed. Instead, Yu patted her on the shoulder. Hopefully she can gain some confidence during her stay. Thinking quickly, Yu picked up Bai from his basket and asked Gui Ai, “Would you like to carry Bai to dinner?” The poor girl’s eyes widened and teared up. She nodded and Yu handed him over. Gui Ai treated the cub with incredible gentleness and started scratching his soft head fur. Bai didn’t open his eyes once, only flaring his nose and cuddling into the girl’s chest, purring contentedly. Yu smiled at the adorable pair. Gui Ai wasn’t as small as Yu but she scrunched herself down so she looked it.

They followed the abrupt inner sect disciple and soon reached a seven-story pagoda with each floor progressively smaller. It was painted black and gold with embossed golden dragons on all the eaves and doorways and was wider than her father’s entire estate at the bottom level. A few sets of stairs were off to the sides leading to the various floors. There was already a crowd of new students standing around the building and their group joined the throng, the guide disappearing after telling them to wait for further instructions. Gui Ai huddled up next to Yu and scrunched even lower, hugging Bai close.

A one-story tall black jade column with three sides stood to the side of the building’s main entrance. It had gold writing on it. On the side that Yu could see, it said, “Outer Sect Disciple Ranking,” and below that were 100 numbers counting down from top to bottom with 1 at the top and 100 at the bottom. Names were next to each number. These columns were located in a few places throughout the sect city and had the rankings for the three sect levels. Each side displayed the top 100 for the three sect levels. Ranked disciples receive special privileges and are what every disciple aimed for. Yu heard any number of her fellow new entrants declare themselves superior to whoever was on the list and express their intent to challenge individuals for their positions. Yu wished them the best. Of course, it wasn’t that easy. A number 25,000 couldn’t challenge a number 1. The rule book went into specifics but an easy description was that you had to move up through the ranks slowly, not suddenly jump up in a day.

Yu quickly scanned the names so she will have them in her memory but stopped near the very bottom. The name next to number 97 was Fenghuang Lei, her elder brother. Yu’s eyes widened. Then her face broke into a huge grin and she felt like leaping in joy for him. Not even two years there and he was already ranked!

Yu, beaming, looked over at Gui Ai and saw her terrified of the close quarters and holding onto Bai tightly. Yu’s smile shrank and she patted Gui Ai’s shoulder and said, “Let’s sit together if we can.” Gui Ai nodded and they turned as a man stepped to the top of the steps leading into the building with a huge smile on his face and his arms wide. He was older, showing some visual wrinkles but not many, and had silver hair that was cut longer on top but close to his head on the sides. He was wearing silver robes with white seams.

“Welcome, new disciples!” His voice was so boisterous and his smile so wide, Yu believed he was truly happy to welcome them. “I am Long Mingchen, vice leader for outer sect disciples. This building behind me is the main dining hall and where you may come to eat every day. Food is served all day and night to accommodate various cultivation needs. That means there are no set times and you may come and go as your schedule allows and you please. Your food ranges in cost from free for the most basic to fifty contribution points for the most expensive. The free food is completely sufficient to live on, but it contains no ability to directly grow your strength. The foods that cost points vary in the amount of Qi they grant. You can even purchase affinity-specific foods if you so choose and have the points. But that is for the future.”

Turning sideways and pointing a hand at the building behind him. “You will notice the dining pagoda has seven floors. In order from bottom to top, they are for unranked outer sect disciples such as yourselves. Then ranked outer disciples, unranked inner disciples, ranked inner disciples, core, core ranked, and sect leaders such as elders and vice leaders. As an additional privilege, the number one ranked for each disciple level is permitted to eat with the sect leaders on the top floor. Something for you to aim for. Your badges will allow you access to the proper floor, I recommend against trying to sneak higher than you have earned; it will not go well for you. Each floor’s food quality is progressively higher. You may sit wherever you like with whoever you like when you are inside as long as you are respectful to everyone. You have had time to read at least the introduction to the sect laws by now so you should know that fighting in this building is prohibited. Now you may eat. There will always be sufficient free food for everyone so there is no need to rush.” Then he turned around and headed through the large double doors.

The mass of students began to flood the entrance after him. Yu took Gui Ai’s arm and started to walk forward. A few students began to push and run and complain at the delay but Yu and Gui Ai were silent and simply moved with the crowd. At the entrance, Yu found herself in a large single room with stone benches and seats lined in rows. At the two side walls were long tables with food and servants there to fill plates and provide their daily sustenance. On the far wall opposite the doors was a serving area with a carved wooden sign above it, “Special Food Orders,” and was currently empty of both servants and disciples. Long lines were forming on the opposite sides with some pushing and shoving and arguing. A room full of hungry teenage cultivators was almost guaranteed to result in such things. Yu spotted a few disciples outright attempting to bribe with silver to move up. Shaking her head she wondered if they were truly so desperate to eat.

Gui Ai and Yu walked with a mass of others to the line on the right. Two girls pushed their way through and arrived at the pair. One girl was a head taller than Gui Ai, wider in the shoulders and more muscular overall. The other was only slightly taller than Yu but had black hair cut short into spikes. The taller of the two asked in a cute high-pitched voice that in no way resembled her tall muscular figure, “Gui Ai, why didn’t you wait for us?”

Gui Ai blushed and quietly mumbled, “Sorry.”

Yu waved and said, “It’s my fault. She and I agreed to come together. Would you like to join us? I’m Fenghuang Yu.”

The smaller of the two squeed and bounced while clapping her hands in a blur. “Is that your kitty, Gui Ai? Where was it before? It’s soooo cute! Can I pet it? Will it be staying with us? Is it a girl or a boy? What’s its name? Tell me we can play with it. What is it? It looks like a tiger. Is it a tiger? How long have you had it? How old is it? Did you get it from your family?” Yu gaped at the little person who spewed out so many words so quickly without inhaling. Gui Ai shook her head and hurriedly handed Bai back to Yu. She took him and found him staring at the girl with wide mismatched eyes. Yu thought he might have been just as shocked as she was.

The taller girl said, “Easy, Jao Li.”

Yu coughed and said, “To answer your questions, no, he’s my bond so he was with me. Thank you, yes he is cute. You absolutely can pet him if you are gentle and he lets you. No, he lives with me. He is a boy, his name is Bai, if we hang out and he wants to play, sure. He’s a tiger cub, yes. I’ve had him for a little less than two weeks which is also how old he is. And he and I bonded through a friend.” The little ball of energy bounced and clapped again and reached forward, gently rubbing Bai’s head. He closed his eyes and purred. Her face broke into a massive smile.

“Stop holding up the line. Honestly! Put a cute thing in front of girls and they are utterly useless.” A rude male voice called from behind. All four of the girls looked around and realized they were indeed holding up the line. Yu said, “Oh, sorry.” Then she took Gui Ai’s arm and pulled her forward. The other two girls took far less kindly to the young man’s words. They turned to face the youth, who was of average height and build with long straight blue hair up in a topknot, matching blue scrunched eyebrows and a glaring square face.

Because everyone was wearing the same outer sect robes, the easiest way to tell status and wealth was unavailable; but there were other ways if one knew what to look for. Scanning him, Yu found a single gold ring on his finger, hands that had seen little hard work or combat prior to the first level of the Foundation stage, and no other scars or blemishes of any sort. His hair was clean, oiled, and the guan holding his topknot in place was a highly polished small golden crown with water waves carved into it. A single golden rod penetrated it from left to right to hold his perfect hair in place. Clearly he was on the wealthier side and was likely an elitist snob like that elder from the testing facility whose hair color matched. Could they be from the same family?

The larger of the two girls, who Yu still hadn’t learned the name of, was the first to respond. “Bao Qing, you are the rudest person I have ever met. Why not just speak politely?” Bao. Yep, related.

Jao Li, the animated little one, said while pinching her nose, “Go away and take your stink with you. Or better yet, go back to the dorm and bathe.”

Yu’s silver eyebrows rose and she looked at Gui Ai who had a tiny smile on her face even while looking down as usual. Yu whispered, “Do you all know him?”

She nodded and mumbled, “Suitemate.” Yu winced as she recognized how annoying it was to be the only boy in a suite of girls, except in reverse. She felt a tiny bit of pity for him.

His face flushed red and growled said through gritted teeth, “I. Don’t. Smell.”

“Tell that to our poor noses,” said Jao Li while waving her hand in front of her face as if keeping something especially stinky away.

Yu said, “Girls, we’re almost at the food.” They had unconsciously been stepping towards the food and finally were only a few disciples away.

The boy flushed deeper red and his hands gave off a slight blue glow. “Who in the hells are you and when did this sect start accepting little children?”

Yu responded with, “I’m just someone who wants to eat in peace with her friends.”

“Don’t even think I won’t remember these insults. You all won’t have peace while I live in that suite!”

In response, the girls ignored him, turned around, and said, “That is an excellent idea, Fenghuang Yu. If we hold the food close we might be able to overwhelm his stench.”

His words held a viciousness when he spat, “Fucking bitches. We’ll see what happens.”

***

Once they escaped from that boy as well as the mass of people and sat at a table with a large enough gap for the four of them, the dinner was pleasant. The large girl, whose name was Jao Lu, ate while her enthusiastic sister explained how they were twins but looked nothing alike. Yu learned that family was usually put in the same suite when they enter in the same year unless specifically requested otherwise. Gui Ai was the third and the rude boy was the last. Apparently when he saw he was rooming with three girls, he shared how amazing he was and how lucky they would have been to get together with him. He was wearing some sort of perfume or something and they mentioned how his reek would drive away every girl. It apparently turned into a substantial disagreement which ended with him promising to make their lives miserable and reminding them they could do nothing about it.

“So tell us about yourself, Fenghuang Yu.” That came from the larger sister.

Yu mentioned how she was from the verge and talked about her family. “I’m just here to get strong enough to support them and do the best I can for my clan.”

Lu said, “Same for us. We’re also vergers just hoping to help our clans, although it sounds like ours is much smaller. We’re a minor clan in our city. We were only accepted because our grandfather went here, although we did manage to pass the tests. Barely probably although you never know. We almost couldn’t afford to even get here after tuition - renting a flying beast mount is not cheap.” Tuition?

Not wanting to think about how much she has to repay her family, Yu offered Bai some of her meat but he declined it. It tasted fine but had no Qi so she wasn’t surprised. Li said, “Bai is adorable.”

Yu patted his head and smiled at the girl. Then turning to the shy girl next to her, Yu asked, “Gui Ai, why are you here?”

She ate silently just listening and had jumped slightly at being addressed. She swallowed and mumbled, “My father made me come.”

Yu nodded and said, “Ah. Well, I bet you can find something here you will like. Do any professions interest you?”

Gui Ai whispered, “I like painting.”

Yu excitedly said, “There are a bunch of professions that need calligraphy. I understand scroll-making is pretty lucrative if you need points or silver. What about you two?” Yu asked while turning to the twin girls.

Li spoke first - of course she did - and said speedily, “I want to fight!” She threw a few quick punches in the air above her bowl. “I was always getting into scraps with the boys when I was growing up. I’m an Air Warrior so I can use my size and speed. I was always the fastest around my age, even before I opened my first meridian.”

Jao Lu said, “And you always had to be rescued when you did ridiculous things like taking on four at once.” Li stuck her tongue out at her sister and went back to shoveling food in her mouth at the maximum speed possible. The larger sister then turned to Yu and said with a smile, “I want to work with beasts. I have always enjoyed being around them and found them easier to get along with than humans.” Yu noticed out of the side of her eye and Gui Ai raised her head slightly and looked at Lu.

“You should definitely have opportunities for that. You saw how many disciples were working where we started the tour, right?” Then she turned to Gui Ai, “Maybe that is something that will interest you too, Gui Ai.” She blushed, shrugged and lowered her head quickly.

Yu sighed and said, “Gui Ai, you and Jao Lu are free to stop by and-”

Yu was interrupted by a shove in the back. Again. Yu looked over her shoulder and saw the three girls’ idiot suitemate, the blue-haired Bao Qing walk by. She just shook her head and ignored it but the fiery Jao Li started to get up when her sister slapped her hand on her little sister’s shoulder and pushed back down. She growled out, “No fighting.”

Smiling at them, Yu said, “Forget it. I don’t care. He can’t do anything.”

Li said, “I’m going to punch him flat when we are finally allowed to fight. I’ll-”

Her diatribe on future violence was interrupted by Vice Leader Long Mingchen standing at a table near the door and calling out, “This is the end of your Welcoming for today. You are free when you are done eating. Remember, fighting is not permitted, and swapping rooms is on hold for two more days. You are free to explore but you must stay in the outer sect disciple area of this city at all times. Good evening to you.”

Yu saw the other girls were nearly done and said, “I’m really tired. It has been a bit of a crazy day and I’m going to bathe and sleep. Want to have breakfast tomorrow morning?”

Li said while nodding. “Sure! I’m not tired and plan to explore.”

Looking at her sister, Lu said, “No you’re not, Li. You are coming back to the suite, unpacking and going to bed too.” Her little sister huffed and crossed her arms.

Gui Ai mumbled, “Sleep.”

Yu smiled and said, “Great!”